The other day, I was working with my friend Jon Mundy on one of his projects, and in the course of our conversation, I slipped—just for a moment—into what you might call ego mode. I started grumbling a bit about aging: the aches, the limitations, the slowing down. Jon didn’t say a word in response, just gave a soft chuckle that felt like a nudge from Spirit itself.
That simple chuckle sparked a memory—a teaching Jon shared with me years ago:
“Sick body, well body. What’s the difference? Old body, young body. What’s the difference? It’s all illusion.”
In that instant, I shifted. The complaints dissolved, and I was reminded once again of the deep truth that the body—regardless of its state—is not who or what we are.
This is not a new idea. It’s been echoed across the ages, sometimes in different words, but always pointing to the same core truth: the body, the world of form, is an illusion. A Course in Miracles states it plainly:
“There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not ‘harder’ or ‘bigger’ than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal.” (ACIM, T-1.I.1:1-5)
It also reminds us, gently but firmly:
“Illness is a form of external searching. Health is inner peace.” (ACIM, T-2.I.5:1-2)
Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures mirrors this perspective:
“Disease is an image of thought, externalized. The mental state is called a material state. Whatever is cherished in mortal mind as the physical condition is imaged forth on the body.” (S&H, p. 411)
Both ACIM and S&H emphasize this vital point: focusing on the problem reinforces the problem. When we fixate on symptoms, diagnoses, or limitations, we strengthen the illusion of separation and sickness. As Eddy wrote, “When fear disappears, the foundation of disease is gone.” (S&H, p. 368)
Healing, then, begins not by wrestling with the illusion, but by turning our attention away from the problem and toward the Truth. That Truth is simple, yet profound: we are not bodies. We are Spirit, whole and eternal.
Is healing instant? Maybe. Maybe not.
Is it always visible in the body? Maybe. Maybe not.
But one thing is certain: the real miracle is a change in perception. ACIM reminds us, “A miracle is a correction. It does not create, nor really change at all. It merely looks on devastation, and reminds the mind that what it sees is false.” (ACIM, T-2.V.A.13:1-3)
True healing is a shift in how we see the world—a release from fear, a softening of judgment, and a return to peace. When we stop fighting the appearance of disease and instead remember our oneness with God, we free ourselves to experience the miracle—not necessarily as a change in the body, but always as a change in mind.
This idea is beautifully echoed in a story from the biography of Mary Baker Eddy. A practitioner once asked her:
“If I gave the perfect treatment, would the patient disappear?”
MBE replied with a wisdom that still echoes today:
“No, YOU would disappear.”
It’s not the body, the sickness, or the world that vanishes—it’s the false you, the identity rooted in ego, that fades into the nothingness it always was.
Gary Renard’s teachers, Arten and Pursah, shared the same message over a century later, forming the basis for The Disappearance of the Universe. It’s the same melody, just played in a new key. And isn’t that the way of Spirit? Truth is timeless—it simply reappears in forms and languages suited to each generation.
So the next time you find yourself grumbling, like I did, take a breath.
Remember Jon’s chuckle.
Remember MBE’s wisdom.
Remember Gary’s message.
And remember that none of this is new.
It’s simply another gentle nudge from Spirit saying:
“Wake up, my beloved. You are not the dreamer nor the dream. You are the Light in which the dream appears, and in which it disappears.”
If these ideas resonate with you—or if they spark questions, reflections, or even gentle disagreement—I invite you to join a community of like-minded seekers in our Facebook group, Awakening Minds: Reflections and Conversations Inspired by ACIM. It’s a space for honest, heartfelt dialogue where we explore the principles of A Course in Miracles, share our journeys, and support one another in living these teachings day by day. You can find us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1364538348157987. I hope to see you there.The other day, I was working with my friend Jon Mundy on one of his projects, and in the course of our conversation, I slipped—just for a moment—into what you might call ego mode. I started grumbling a bit about aging: the aches, the limitations, the slowing down. Jon didn’t say a word in response, just gave a soft chuckle that felt like a nudge from Spirit itself.
That simple chuckle sparked a memory—a teaching Jon shared with me years ago:
“Sick body, well body. What’s the difference? Old body, young body. What’s the difference? It’s all illusion.”
In that instant, I shifted. The complaints dissolved, and I was reminded once again of the deep truth that the body—regardless of its state—is not who or what we are.
This is not a new idea. It’s been echoed across the ages, sometimes in different words, but always pointing to the same core truth: the body, the world of form, is an illusion. A Course in Miracles states it plainly:
“There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not ‘harder’ or ‘bigger’ than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal.” (ACIM, T-1.I.1:1-5)
It also reminds us, gently but firmly:
“Illness is a form of external searching. Health is inner peace.” (ACIM, T-2.I.5:1-2)
Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures mirrors this perspective:
“Disease is an image of thought, externalized. The mental state is called a material state. Whatever is cherished in mortal mind as the physical condition is imaged forth on the body.” (S&H, p. 411)
Both ACIM and S&H emphasize this vital point: focusing on the problem reinforces the problem. When we fixate on symptoms, diagnoses, or limitations, we strengthen the illusion of separation and sickness. As Eddy wrote, “When fear disappears, the foundation of disease is gone.” (S&H, p. 368)
Healing, then, begins not by wrestling with the illusion, but by turning our attention away from the problem and toward the Truth. That Truth is simple, yet profound: we are not bodies. We are Spirit, whole and eternal.
Is healing instant? Maybe. Maybe not.
Is it always visible in the body? Maybe. Maybe not.
But one thing is certain: the real miracle is a change in perception. ACIM reminds us, “A miracle is a correction. It does not create, nor really change at all. It merely looks on devastation, and reminds the mind that what it sees is false.” (ACIM, T-2.V.A.13:1-3)
True healing is a shift in how we see the world—a release from fear, a softening of judgment, and a return to peace. When we stop fighting the appearance of disease and instead remember our oneness with God, we free ourselves to experience the miracle—not necessarily as a change in the body, but always as a change in mind.
This idea is beautifully echoed in a story from the biography of Mary Baker Eddy. A practitioner once asked her:
“If I gave the perfect treatment, would the patient disappear?”
MBE replied with a wisdom that still echoes today:
“No, YOU would disappear.”
It’s not the body, the sickness, or the world that vanishes—it’s the false you, the identity rooted in ego, that fades into the nothingness it always was.
Gary Renard’s teachers, Arten and Pursah, shared the same message over a century later, forming the basis for The Disappearance of the Universe. It’s the same melody, just played in a new key. And isn’t that the way of Spirit? Truth is timeless—it simply reappears in forms and languages suited to each generation.
So the next time you find yourself grumbling, like I did, take a breath.
Remember Jon’s chuckle.
Remember MBE’s wisdom.
Remember Gary’s message.
And remember that none of this is new.
It’s simply another gentle nudge from Spirit saying:
“Wake up, my beloved. You are not the dreamer nor the dream. You are the Light in which the dream appears, and in which it disappears.”
If these ideas resonate with you—or if they spark questions, reflections, or even gentle disagreement—I invite you to join a community of like-minded seekers in our Facebook group, Awakening Minds: Reflections and Conversations Inspired by ACIM. It’s a space for honest, heartfelt dialogue where we explore the principles of A Course in Miracles, share our journeys, and support one another in living these teachings day by day. You can find us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1364538348157987. I hope to see you there.